National Press Club to hold charity dinner in aid of needy journalists

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 (Bernama) -- The National Press Club Malaysia (NPC) is to hold a charity dinner on April 13 to raise funds for its Journalist Welfare Fund (JWF).

NPC president Datuk Mokhtar Hussain said donations from the JWF are given to families of journalists who die in the line of duty or succumb to diseases such as cancer and also to journalists suffering from ailments that have made them unable to discharge their duty.

“Many of our colleagues are suffering from ailments but they get little attention. With the JWF, we are able to provide some assistance.

"Since the fund was set up (in 2006), we have helped more than 100 journalists throughout the country regardless of whether they are members of the NPC or not,” he told Bernama after several major sponsors handed over their pledges of contribution to the NPC at Wisma Bernama today.

The sponsors are the QI Group of Companies, as the platinum sponsor; Sunway Group Berhad, Forest City, UEM Group Berhad and F&N Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd.

Other organisations which have pledged contributions are BIMB Holdings Bhd; Bank Rakyat; Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd; Sime Darby Plantations; Pos Malaysia Bhd; Bank Simpanan Nasional; Hong Leong Bank; Constance Westwood; Parkson Corporation Sdn Bhd; RHB Bank; Sirim Bhd; NIKON Malaysia; Maybank and AirAsia.

Meanwhile, QI Group director K. Krishna Kumar said the fund-raising dinner is a welcome effort “to honour our local journalists and cameramen who face many risks in bringing news and information to the public”.

At today’s event, NPC presented donations to former New Straits Times (NST) Melaka correspondent Jason Gerald, 43, whose left foot was amputated recently due to diabetes, and Bernama reporter Yai Ban King, 48, who is seeking treatment for an ailment.

Mokhtar handed over the cheques to representatives.

The fund-raising dinner, to be held at Istana Hotel, will feature a special performance by renowned Malaysian rock artist Datuk Nash and guitarist Man Kidal.

For tickets and table bookings, enquiries can be addressed to NPC club manager Steven Foo at 019-2458073 or event secretary Siti Kadtijah Hamid at 019-6900517 or via e-mail to nationalpressclub@gmail.com.

-- BERNAMA